Homemade Granola Bars and Toddler Peanut Butter Bites

I’ve been debating on whether I should write this recipe as gourmet granola bars or toddler bites. You can easily adjust this recipe to make either. I couldn’t decide, so I’m going to explain how to make both versions of this So whether you’re a mom of toddlers, teenagers, or just like granola, this recipe will work for you.

I’m actually eating one of these granola bars right now. They are sweet, salty and tart all at the same time. I worked on this recipe for quite awhile. First the bars were too soft, then too hard, then not enough peanut butter et cetera, et cetera. Feel free to play with it a bit yourself to get it exactly right for you. You can switch up the ingredients and the boiling time of the sugars to change the taste and consistency.

First, in a large bowl combine the rolled oats, dried cherries (you can substitute in raisins for toddlers) and whole almonds. Leave out the almonds if making toddler bites. They are a choking hazard.

Then line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper. It doesn’t need to be perfectly lined. The bars will push the paper flat.

Now mix your honey and brown sugar together in a medium sized saucepan.

Heat on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until boiling. (To get a firmer consistency boil for 30-60 seconds).

Turn off the heat, but leave the saucepan on the element.

Stir in the salt and peanut butter until smooth. (I leave out the salt for toddler bites.)

Pour the sugar/peanut butter mixture into the bowl with the rolled oats. Mix well.

Press the mixture into the parchment lined pan. Don’t panic, the mixture takes several minutes to set, so you have time to press it down evenly.

Let the bars cool slightly and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Press the chips firmly into the mixture.

Place the pan immediately into the fridge to prevent the chips from melting.

After about 30 minutes you can remove the pan from the fridge and cut into bars or 1 inch toddler bites. Enjoy!

Note: you cannot give honey (even cooked) to a child younger than a year.

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